Automatically-acting mouse-trap.



No. 666,279. 'Patented Ian. 22, 190i.

A. LESSER.

AUTOMATICALLY ACTING MOUSE TRAP.

(Application filed Mar. 5, 1900.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet n E 1 [P i Q U 7 i TH: "cams PETERS conFHQTO-LITNO wAsmHsmu. n, c.

No. 666,279. Patented Jan. 22, 19m. A. LESSER.

AUTOMATICALLY ACTING MOUSE TRAP.

(Application file; Mar. 5, 1900.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

n1: uonms PEYEHS cu, Pumauma. \vnsumswu. DiC- UNITED States PATENTALFRED LESSER, OF OASSEL, GERMANY.

AUTOMATICALLY-ACTING MOUSE-TRAP.

SPEGIFIOATIGN forming part of Letters Patent No. 666,27 9, dated January22, 1901.

Application filed March 5, 1900. Serial No. 7,401. \Iio model.)

To all whont it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED LESSER, a subject of the King of Prussia,Emperor of Germany, residing at Cassel, Prussia, Germany, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Automatically-Acting Mouse-Traps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an automaticallyacting mouse-trap offering, ascompared with similar constructions hitherto known, essentialadvantages. The characteristic feature of all automatic mouse-trapsconsists in the fact that the caught animal is constrained to continue adetermined way and to reset, by doing so, the trap for the followinganimal. All devices of this kind hitherto known suffer from the drawbackthat either they are too complicated, and in consequence thereof toodear, or they do not act sufficiently rapidly and surely. In all thesetraps a bait lies either free or it is inclosed in a perforated casingmade of sheet metal or wire, or it does not lie upon the bottom of thetrap, but is suspended at a certain height, so that the caught animalcannot touch it. In the latter case it is Very probable that the animalgenerally does not enter the trap if it does not see the bait freelylying there. In the former case the animal when caught rests quietlynear the bait, feeding on the latter, and as it does not continue itsway does not reset the trap, so that the catching of a large number ofanimals is retarded or rendered even entirely impossible.

In the present invention, though of very simple construction, thedisadvantage above mentioned is avoided, as, the trap being open, thebait is freely lying therein on the bottom, so that it may easily beseen from any side; but at the moment when an animal goes into the trapthe bait will disappear before the eyes of the animal as soon as theentrancedoor is closed by falling down.

The invention is shown in the accompanying drawings.

Figure l is a longitudinal section of the trap; Fig. 2, a plan view ofthe same, while Fig. 3 shows the trap, also in longitudinal section,after the entrance of an animal.

A is a tilting box-like receptacle with open ends, and a is theentrance-opening thereof.

a is a platform pivoted at d within the receptacle and adapted todisengage the looking mechanism as soon as the animal treads upon therear portion of the platform. The bait, which is at k, is exposed toview when the trap is set, but is concealed by a wall it, which entersthe receptacle on the descent of the entrance end of the latter, asshown in Fig. 3. The disengagement of the mechanism is effected by theplatform 0 rocking on its pivot 01 and causing the pawl r, with theshoulder o, to turn around the fulcrum u, so that the fore part of thetilting receptacle sinks down. On one hand the entrance-opening a isthen closed by a shield m and on the other hand the door 5 is opened,While at the same time the bait is concealed by the wall h. The caughtanimal can pass only through the door I), and as soon as it takes thisway and has arrived beyond the fulcrum f the tilting receptacle resumesits former position, the rear part of the receptacle, weighted by theanimal, sinking down, and the pawl r becoming reengaged. The door a isreopened, the baitlies free again, and the doorb is closed. By thedescent of the tilting receptacle the caught animal arrives at theopening'i and slips through it into the shaft 25. The animal climbing inthe latter upward overcomes the pivoted flap-doors Z Z, barring the wayback, and finally it arrives through the opening n to the swivelingplate p, pivoted at 0, from whence it falls down into the water vesselq. The latter can be withdrawn from the trap for being emptied.

I claim-- 1. In an animal-trap, the combination of the tiltingreceptacle, means for locking its entrance end in elevated position, theplat form pivoted within the receptacle and adapted to release thelocking means, and the shield arranged to close the entrance-opening onthe depression of the receptacle, substantially as described.

2. In an animal-trap, the combination of the tilting. receptacle, thegravity-pawl for locking it in elevated position, the platform pivotedwithin the receptacle in position to disengage the pawl, the bait-holderalso located within the receptacle, and means for concealing the holderon the depression of the entrance end of the receptacle, substantiallyas set forth.

3. In an animal-trap, the combination of the tilting receptacle, thelocking means therefor, the means for disengaging the locking means, theshield 00, the bait-holder, the Wall h, and the door 12, substantiallyas set forth.

4. In an animal-trap, the combination of the tilting receptacle, thelocking and releasing means therefor, the water vessel above thereceptacle, the shaft leading from the rear of the receptacle to thevessel, and the flapdoors located in the shaft, substantially as setforth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing 20 witnesses.

ALFRED LESSER. [L. 5.]

Witnesses:

GEORG HAUSMANN, FRIEDRICH EBRECHT.

